New Delhi: New Zealand, a member of the ‘Five Eyes’ alliance, has backed Canada amid an escalating diplomatic row with India.
However, it also issued disclaimers to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims about Indian “agents” involved in criminal activities in Canada, referring to them as “alleged” but concerning “if proven”.
“The alleged criminal conduct outlined publicly by Canadian law enforcement authorities, if proven, would be very concerning,” said New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters in a statement on X Tuesday.
His statement is the first in support of Canada by a leader from the Five Eyes alliance.
The ‘Five Eyes’ is an intelligence alliance between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Established after World War II, the countries in the grouping regularly share intelligence and coordinate their security efforts to protect their national interests.
New Zealand has been briefed by Canada about its recent announcements on ongoing criminal investigations into violence and threats of violence against members of its South Asian community.
The alleged criminal conduct outlined publicly by Canadian law enforcement authorities, if…
— Winston Peters (@NewZealandMFA) October 15, 2024
So far, the US, Australia and the UK have not officially reacted to the escalation of tensions between Canada and India.
The US State Department will likely address the matter in its daily press briefing Tuesday.
Australian officials were in New Delhi for secretary-level consultations days earlier when it was underlined that the two countries are “close friends” with strong strategic ties.
Trudeau issued a statement Tuesday, defending his government’s decision to expel six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma. The Canadian PM called the six agents of the Indian government engaging in activities posing a threat to public safety in Canada. Initially, Ottawa requested India to waive diplomatic immunity for Verma and other Indian diplomats. But, when New Delhi refused, it decided to expel the diplomats.
Earlier Monday, India registered a strong protest against Canada’s decision to designate Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in a criminal investigation and expelled six Canadian diplomats from New Delhi.
‘Rule of law should be respected’
In his statement, Peters said Canada briefed his government about its recent announcements on ongoing criminal investigations into violence and threats of violence against members of its South Asian community.
He added that the rule of law must be respected, though it is uncommon for New Zealand to comment on ongoing criminal probes.
“At the same time, we do not comment on the details of ongoing criminal investigations, in New Zealand or abroad, other than to note that it is important that the rule of law and judicial processes be respected and followed,” said the New Zealand foreign minister in his statement.
“New Zealand has a diverse population, with large communities with cultural connections to a broad range of countries from across Asia, the Pacific and Europe. We expect all such communities to act, and be treated, lawfully and with respect,” he added.
New Zealand has a large Sikh community, including over 53,000 members approximately.
This article has been corrected to reflect that Winston Peters is the New Zealand deputy prime minister and foreign minister and not the prime minister. The error is regretted.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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Mr. Winston Peters is not the Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. Please correct this article. Thanks
This should be factored in. Five eyes alliance partners share the most sensitive intelligence, far above this particular incident. At some stage, the dichotomy of the response to Canada and the United States too will become apparent.